Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Trivia
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Spoilers (7)
Matt Damon's London street scene--showing Linus walking through London speaking on the phone--was shot while Matt Damon was in London filming "The Bourne Ultimatum". The Ocean's Thirteen production took advantage of this happy coincidence as they wanted the character Greco to be a British classmate of Roman Nagel. Thus Linus's being in London played well to the story.
Towards the end of the film, when Rusty and Danny are in the airport, they each mock each other. Rusty tells Danny to try and keep the weight off in between jobs next time. This is a reference to George Clooney, who put on extra weight for his role in Syriana (2005) and in turn injured his back doing some stunts. Danny tells Rusty, "Settle down and have a couple of kids," which is a reference to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's relationship and children.
(@ 1:37:15) The numbers that "Mr. Weng" picks to win at the roulette wheel are 11, 12, and 13--a reference to the three "Ocean's Trilogy" titles.
The phrase "Billy Martin" that Danny mentions to Willy Bank during Reuben's hospitalization is gambling slang for "a second chance." The phrase refers to famed Major League Baseball manager, Billy Martin. Despite his talents as a manager (he led the New York Yankees to two World Series titles), Martin's fiery temper, fueled by his alcoholism, often got him into trouble and, as a result, he was fired multiple times. Despite his character flaws, Billy Martin was always being given "a second chance."
The special scent that Linus puts on his neck to seduce Abigail is noted in a title card as "The Gilroy." This is an in-joke on Tony Gilroy who wrote the screenplays for Medusan verkko (2002), Medusan isku (2004), and Medusan sinetti (2007), all starring Matt Damon. Gilroy also wrote and directed Michael Clayton (2007), which stars George Clooney and is produced by Steven Soderbergh.
The gold cellphone Willie Bank receives from Abigail Sponder was custom made by Samsung for the movie.
(@ 54:00) When Danny and Rusty are reminiscing about meeting Reuben, they wander to the front of the Bellagio and the Bellagio pool. The tune that is playing is "Clair de Lune." This is the same tune (though not the same artist or arrangement) that played at the end of Ocean's Eleven (2001,) when the Eleven are watching the dancing Fountains of Bellagio.
The "Five Diamond Award" is the highest award for hotels and restaurants given out by AAA (formerly the Automobile Association of America). The award is given to less than 50% of all hotels/restaurants reviewed by AAA. As of 2015, Las Vegas hotels/restaurants had won the second-most Five Diamond Awards, just behind New York City.
Matt Damon's brief scene on a London street corner is very reminiscent of the Bourne movies: hand-held camera, European location, cell phone use, even the dialogue ("I've used four identities... I think I'm being followed... I have a name but I don't even know if it's right.").
In "Ocean's Eleven" (2001), Don Cheadle, who is American, affects a thick Cockney (British) accent to play British ammunition expert Basher Tarr--an accent that, by Cheadle's own admission, was not very good. Indeed, it was also panned by several movie critics. As an in-joke to the criticism of his Cockney accent, not-so-subtle accent references were written into both sequels. In "Ocean's Twelve" (2004)--as Basher, Linus, and Turk are preparing Tess to impersonate Julia Roberts--Basher is fixated on Tess getting the Roberts' accent right, insisting that if her accent isn't spot on, nobody will believe her performance. In "Ocean's Thirteen" (2007), Basher is frequently seen reading a book about speech and diction, using what he learns to convincingly pull off a passable American accent while impersonating daredevil Fender Roads.
Steven Soderbergh filmed all of Al Pacino's scenes in three weeks.
Al Pacino was director Steven Soderbergh's first choice for the role of Willy Bank. The film's producer, Jerry Weintraub, a friend of Pacino's, persuaded him to join the cast.
As of 2018, Steven Soderbergh's last feature shot entirely on film.
The line "You shook Sinatra's hand," mentioned several times in the movie, is a reference to Frank Sinatra, who played Danny Ocean in the original Kovat kaverit (1960).
Based upon the aerial shots of the Bank Casino, it is located near the Planet Hollywood Casino and the Miracle Mile Shopping Center on the Las Vegas Strip. Its location is also confirmed by Terry Benedict, who complains that the Bank Casino "throws a shadow over my pool" (meaning the "dancing waters" pool in front of the Bellagio). Its actual location, shown in an aerial shot, would be across The Strip from the Monte Carlo near the Polo Towers. The Paris Hotel and Planet Hollywood are shown still directly across the street from the Bellagio pool.
The name of Saul's character in the movie is Kensington Chubb. Kensington being a name of the lock type and lock manufacturer and Chubb being a lock and safe maker brand. Obvious nod in the direction of what the Ocean's group basically are: Thieves / locks and safe crackers.
During the film's climax, several shots are used of various bystanders. One of them is cashing out a rather large amount of chips. It is the same actor who played "Bulldog the bruiser" in Ocean's Eleven - korkeat panokset (2001), as well as Bernie Mac's attorney in Ocean's 12.
The fake nose Matt Damon wears is an in-joke reference to Grimmin veljekset (2005), in which director Terry Gilliam wanted the actor to wear a fake nose but the studio vetoed it.
The helipad scene near the end of the movie was shot at the Warner Bros lot on a 5-foot high platform.
Roman Nagel tells Danny and Rusty, 'You're like the Morecambe and Wise of the thievery world, but even they went off the boil after a while.' British comedy duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise pulled in audiences of more than 20 million in their 1970s heyday. Their material is often thought to have deteriorated after 1978 when they left the BBC.
The Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow logos at the front of the film are styled in homage to the 1970s/1980s intro animation to New York station WOR-TV's "4 O'Clock Movie." The accompanying music is identical.
In order to infiltrate Willy Bank's office and distract Bank, Basher dresses up as the character "Fender Roads." Roads' persona of being a motorcycle stuntman dressed in the colors of the American flag is an homage (or parody) of famed stuntman Evel Knievel. By the same token, Bob Einstein, who portrays FBI Agent Caldwell, is best known for his portrayal of fictional stuntman Super Dave Osborne, which is also a parody of Knievel.
(@ 1:54:50) Matt Damon's last line of dialogue is "I'll see you when I see you," a scene-ending line that he also says late in Rounders - Ässä hihassa (1998). Brian Koppelman wrote both films.
Peter Fonda, who had appeared in a deleted scene in Ocean's Twelve (2004), was slated to reprise his role as Bobby in this film, but his work on Ghost rider - aaveajaja (2007) prevented him from doing so.
When discussing the blueprints of the Bank Casino, Rusty mentions that among the architects responsible for the design was Frank Gehry, with whom Brad Pitt has collaborated personally on several projects at Gehry's Los Angeles studio.
Ellen Barkin, who plays Abigail Sponder in this film, actually shot a small cameo for Ocean's Twelve (2004). Ultimately cut from that film, it can be seen however on the Blu-ray release (under the additional footage section in the "Meet the Team, Again" sequence).
In the DVD Commentary for "Ocean's Eleven", director Steven Soderbergh said he made the deliberate decision to not include any reference to the original "Ocean's 11" film or any reference to Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack (Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., etcetera) so that his reboot could stand apart. This included shooting a scene in the nightclub with Brad Pitt and Topher Grace in such a way as to hide a wall mural of the Rat Pack in the club. There was also no music from Sinatra or the others in the soundtrack in spite of the film being set in Las Vegas where they have an almost god-like mythical status in that town. However, for "Ocean's Thirteen", Soderbergh relented and included a reference to Frank Sinatra with the "You shook Sinatra's hand" morality code and the use of the Sinatra song "This Town" at the end of the film.
Some of Willy Bank's more notable lines are actually an homage to a recording of singer/songwriter Paul Anka in the mid 1980's yelling at his band after a bad show performance.
Rusty's ring-tone is "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League.
Linus makes a joke about the 1973 Château d'Yquem wine. It was produced in between two years (1972 and 1974) of harvests "unworthy to bear the Château's name." He could be hoping that the 1973 wasn't also "unworthy."
After the dice sculpture collapses during the last set of "earthquake" tremors, the dice show snake eyes (1 on each die), which is a crap-out (losing) value for an initial roll in the game of craps.
Near the end Willy Bank is lit in red light symbolizing the monetary losses that have put him "in the red".
When the pit boss is leaving the pawn shop, he passes by a sign showing the word "Griffin." The Griffin Agency is famous in Las Vegas for helping casinos spot card counters and cheats. However, in this area of town, The Griffin is a bar located downtown.
The stuntman who Don Cheadle's character impersonates has the name "Fender Roads." The name is a homonym of "Fender Rhodes," an electric piano developed in the 1940/50s by Harold Rhodes and later by the Fender Corporation.
The film includes five Academy Award winners: Casey Affleck, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Al Pacino and five Academy Award nominees: Andy Garcia, Elliot Gould, David Paymer, Oprah Winfrey and Don Cheadle.
In the letter from Basher read by Linus, Basher has written, "As the band said, 'Two hearts beat as one'." The band in question is U2, and the line is from a song with that title on the album "War."
(@ 1:08:15) The "Bernie" greeted by Willy Bank is Bernie Yuman who, among many other accomplishments, has been a manager/agent for Siegfried and Roy.
The gold Samsung phone that Willy Bank (played by Al Pacino) covets would appear to be another reference to The Godfather films, in which Pacino starred. Specifically, in The Godfather Part II, a gold rotary telephone was passed around a board room table that included Pacino.
Reunites Al Pacino with Rakkauden meri (1989) co-star Ellen Barkin.
This is the last film that Joel Siegel reviewed for Good Morning America (1975).
The stunt man Basher impersonates towards the end of the film is named "Roads." Don Cheadle would later play James Rhodes in Iron Man 2 (2010) and Iron Man 3 (2013) as well as in the Marvel's Avengers movies.
Benedict fakes an interest in the 'Nuff Said dominoes game. The real Bellagio has a dominoes game called Pai Gow, which comes from China.
Linus is accused of, "seducing of women of a certain age ." Ellen Barkin is 16 years older than Matt Damon.
Aside from Ocean's Eleven - korkeat panokset (2001), Ocean's Twelve (2004), and Ocean's Thirteen (2007), George Clooney and Brad Pitt also worked together on Burn After Reading (2008) as Harry Pfarrer and Chad Feldheimer, respectively.
Spoilers
Linus tells Reuben that Rusty is pulling an "Irwin Allen"--Irwin Allen being a producer widely popular for his disaster movies and TV shows that depicted ways the world would end. Later, the viewer will see a disguised Rusty telling Willy Bank that his casino could experience an earthquake. At the end of the movie, this "earthquake" provides the excuse for the Eleven's exit plan--allowing all gamblers to leave with their winnings, and not allowing them to re-enter the casino and to lose their winnings back to Willy Bank. Note: Irwin Allen's one technical contribution to the world of film and TV was his pioneering of the "shaky-cam" technique to imply aerial turbulence or an earthquake. His approach was to simply tilt the camera back and forth and to have his actors throw themselves across a set.
The characters make several references to a "Susan B. Anthony" in their heist. This is a reference to the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin manufactured by the U.S. mint in 1979. Similar in appearance and size to a regular quarter and not realizing its worth, many people mistakenly dropped it into quarter (25-cent) slot machines. This Eleven's ruse--setting up a slot machine so that people win millions with the play of a single coin--was set up twice in the film: when the woman in The Bank casino wins the $30M jackpot, and when the VUP wins $11M at the slot machine in the airport.
All members of the Caldwell family have portrayed some kind of law-enforcement agent in the three 'Ocean' movies. Linus impersonated an officer of the Nevada Gaming Commission in "Eleven", his mother was a US Marshal in "Twelve", and his father was an FBI agent in "Thirteen".
If you include Roman and Benedict's active participation in this heist, you get Ocean's Thirteen. Or, you could swap out Reuben (who doesn't participate in the heist), for Bobby Caldwell to make the same number.
When Robert Caldwell receives a phone call from Abigail Sponder about some "suspicious characters," he picks up the phone and says "extension 765." Extension 765 is the name of a company and website owned by Steven Soderbergh.
Among the aliases that Agent Caldwell lists for "Lenny Pepperidge" is Sheldon Willis, the name Linus used when impersonating a Nevada Gaming Commission agent in Ocean's Eleven.
